Nur ad-Din

Nur ad-Din (1130-), also called Nur al-Din, Nur ed-Din, or Nureddin, was Sultan of the Zengid Dynasty from 1146 until his death.

Biography
The second son of Zengi, Nureddin became the leader of the Zengid Dyansty after his father was assassinated in 1146. He first massacred the Christians of Edessa as revenge for their aid of a rebellion by Joscelin II of Edessa, who had lost his lands in 1144. Nureddin's conquest of Edessa led to a crusade by the Kingdom of France and Holy Roman Empire in 1148, the Second Crusade, and when the Crusaders unwisely besieged the anti-Zengid Sultan of Damascus Mu'id ad-Din Unur, Nureddin was reluctantly called for help by the Damascenes and he repelled the Siege of Damascus with heavy losses.

By 1174 he was in possession of the Zengid lands in Mesopotamia as well as the separated states in Asia Minor, ruled by the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. Nureddin and his army conquered Kirkuk and Homs from the Seljuk Rebels, and he waged war against the Principality of Antioch.